About
Never Stay Basic
NSB is the uniform for the unapologetic, a representation of a rebellious streetwear identity. We are bold and grounded, offering a modern feel that is both gritty and clean.
This brand is for individuals who are bold enough to embrace change. We don't target an age, background, or gender. Our audience is made up of everyday people and athletes, young or old, anyone who is ready and willing to move different.
We are launching with a line of unisex clothes and hats, designed for this identity. From our home base in Abbotsford, British Columbia, we ship nationwide across Canada.
NSB is for those who move different.
Behind the brand - Nicodemus Success Bahati
Nicodemus Success Bahati is a boy from a small town in the Democratic Republic of Congo. At a young age, I was forced to flee my home country because of the civil war. After living in Uganda as a refugee for 10 years, I migrated to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, in December 2012.
Life in Uganda wasn’t easy. As a refugee, I faced discrimination, bullying, and was often looked down upon. I was called names, beaten up, and constantly made to feel small. Growing up in a war-torn country left me with PTSD, and that, combined with years of being judged and mistreated, deeply affected my mental health. Still, deep down, I always knew I was meant for more, I just hadn’t found the courage or the outlet to apply myself yet.
When my family moved to Canada, one of my first memories was how cold it was. Not long after, I enrolled in high school and joined a physical education class that happened to include jiu-jitsu. Coming from Africa, I knew nothing about the sport. I took the class for a few weeks and turned out to be surprisingly good at it, but at the time I didn’t really understand it. Jiu-jitsu felt strange, and I was still shy, afraid of being judged for what I enjoyed. After about two months of training, I quit the class and didn’t think about jiu-jitsu again for nearly ten years.
Instead, I turned to football for the next two years. It felt more “manly” and socially accepted. I graduated high school and continued playing for a community team, but as university and full-time work started, life got busier. Without an outlet for my energy, I started falling into bad habits and the wrong crowds. Over the next ten years, I gained more than 70 pounds, going from 175 lbs in high school to 250 lbs by 2021.
I found myself in a body I hated, living a life I hated, stuck in a job I hated. During the quiet of COVID, one evening while driving home from work, I saw a sign for a jiu-jitsu school in Winnipeg and something clicked. I thought, “It can’t get any worse.” I remembered those old classes and how I’d actually liked them, so I decided to give it another try.
At first, it was rough, I got my ass kicked for months. But something inside me reignited. I’d only joined to burn calories and lose weight, yet I ended up finding my passion. That first year back, I lost just 5 pounds, going from 250 to 245, but I felt alive again. My skills improved fast, and I set a new goal: to compete.
I trained harder, cleaned up my diet, and lost 30 pounds in three months. At my first competition, I entered the +222 division at 5’6” and 221 lbs. fighting guys twice my height. I didn’t win gold, but I earned bronze and silver, and more importantly, belief in myself. I hated losing, but I loved the grind. I doubled down, trained harder, lost another 20 pounds, and came back two months later to win gold and silver. A month after that, I competed again and won my first-ever double gold medals.
In just eight months, I’d lost over 95 pounds. The results of my hard work pushed me even further and I eventually lost over 100 pounds total and went on to win more than 10 double golds across tournaments.
With my newfound confidence, I quit my depressing job and started my own construction business, which gave me the freedom to train twice a day, seven days a week. The discipline, dedication, and mindset I developed on the mats changed everything about my life.
In 2024, I launched NSB Clothing to inspire the next generation of athletes and everyday people to believe in themselves, put in the work, and watch their lives change.
This brand is more than just clothing, it’s a reminder for every scared, insecure, or overlooked kid who still believes deep down they’re meant for something great. When you wear NSB, you wear your journey - your fight, your doubt, your belief, and your discipline.
Hard work, discipline, and dedication do work.
Never stay basic is a brand that believes in you. Let's go get it!
